Automatic train control



E. n/ITIVSEASICK.v

AUTOMATIC TRAIN CONTROL.

APPLxcATmN FILED Nov.8. |915.

E. MEISERSICK.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN coNTRoL.

. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8.1915. 1 3 l 2, 9 1 9 Patented Aug. 12, 1919.

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AUTOMATIC TRAIN CONTROL.

APPLICATION FILED Nov.s. i915.

Patented Aug. 12, 1919.

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E. MEISERSICK.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN CONTROL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.8. |915.

=41:1: GAVE I Patented Aug. 12, 1919.

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i ERWIN MEISERSIGK, OF LOCKPORT, NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN CONTROL.

`Specification of Letters Patents ]I?;g|,r1;1113 e(1v Aug, 12,1919,

Application nea Navember s, 1915. serial No. 60,389.

To all whom t may concern:y

Be it known that I, ERWIN MEISERSIGK, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Lockport, in the 'county of Niagara, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Train Controls; and I do hereby declarejthe following to Abe a full, clear, and exactl description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which' it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to railway block systems and has special reference to a means for automatically controlling the running of trains over a track. l

The principal object of the invention vis to provide an improved apparatus so arranged that when one train approaches another train within a predetermined distance the trains will be prevented from colliding.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved engine supported means for stopping the engine in case it enters Va block occupied by a second engine or train.

A third object of the invention is to provide improved means on the track for controlling the movement of engines thereover.

With the above and other objects in view,

' the invention consists in general of certain novel details of construction and combinan tion of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and specically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and y Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus as applied to an engine, the latter being indicated in dotted lines,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the apparatus as applied to the engine, the View showing that portion which is designed to shut 0E the steam from the engine cylinders as well as the apparatus which actuates the valve closing means,

Fig. 3 is a detail section on the line 3 8 Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view partly in section of a part of the controlling means showing the manner in which a certain valve used herewith is held open after being opened bythe action of the remainder of the apparatus. 5 is a section on theline 5-5 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of certain track isa section on lthe line 8-.-8-of an ordinary locomotive engine10'whic'h is Vdevices which are located at the ends of provided with the usual front truck, the

-frame of `whichis typically indicatedfat 11 and which is equipped with the axles 12 vcarrying the wheels 13. Supported on the axles 12 is a frame 14 which carries that partof the 1 apparatus which is designed to contact with the track apparatus. At 15 is indicated the main steam passage of the engine and in this main steam passage is provided a slide valve 16 which is equipped with a stem 17 This stem 17 forms the piston rod of an ordinary steam operatin cylinder 18 from whence a supply pipe 19 Ieads to a valve 20 located on the frame 14. F rom'this valve 20 a supply pipe 21 leads to the main steam pipe of the engine above the valve 16. The arrangement of the valve 16 is such that when the valve 20 is open the cylinder 18 will operate to close the valve 16 while when the valve 20 is closed, the valve 16 may be closed Aby the-engineer. In orderfto eiect ysuch closing the pipe 19 is provided with a branch supply vIn the frame 14 are provided certainV guide ways 25 wherein are slidably mounted blocks 26 which are normally urged' toward 'each `'other by means of the springsl 27 located in said guide ways 25. Pivoted to the lower ends of the blocks 26 are arms 28 which are united at their remaining ends by means of links 29. Extending upwardly from this frame and connected to the pivots 30 of the links 29 is a Uffshaped frameBl,

this frame being normally urged downward i' by means of the springs 32 which are interposed between the lower member of the frame 14 and the links 29. Depending from the bight of this frame 31 are certain rods 33 and these rods carry on their lower ends a sliding member 34 which is provided at each side with a series of spring pressed sliding pawls 35 engaging certain racks 36 iXed to the frame 14, the racks and pawls being of such character that the member 34 can readily rise but is prevented from returning downward unless manually released.

In order to manually release these pawls thel member 34 carries a rock shaft 37 whereon is a double armed lever 38 which is connected by links 39 to the pawls 35, the connection being through the medium of the frame 40 at each side.

On this rock shaft 37 is a wheel 4l which may be operated by the engineer so that the pawls may be released from the racks at will. Extending upward from the member 34 is a rod 42 which extends slidably through a suitable hole formed in a plate 43. At 44 is the stem of the valve 20 and this stem is rigidly attached to the plate 43. On the rod 42 is a collar 45 which is held in adjusted position by means of a set screw 46 and between this collar and the plate 43 is a spring 47 which normally urges the member 34 downward, and` this spring conveys the lifting movement of the member 34 tothe valve stem plate 43 and absorbs shock incidental to a rapid actuationA of the shoe of the engine carried mechanism.

In orderl to actuate the air brakes of said engine there is provided a connection for the air pipe 48, the connection being in the form of a branch 49 controlled by a valve 50 so that when the valve is opened the connection is established between the pipe 48 and the atmosphere while when the valve is closed connection is established between the main reservoi-r 51 and the pipe 48. This valve 50 is controlled by a cylinder 52 which is in all' respects similar to the cylinder 18 and which is connected to the pipe 19 by meansoi' a branch 53. y

It is to be understood that there is provided' a valve and itsl controlling apparatus at each side of the frame 1.4 as can clearly be seen by reference to Fig. 3, the pipes 19 and 21 being suitably branched as shown in that gure.

In the operation of the device as thus far described it will be noted that when the member 29 strikes an obstruction, such as will be hereinafter described,y the U frame 31 is raised and this causes the valve 20 to be opened so that the valve 16 will be closed and at the same time the air brake valve 50 opened to apply the air brakes and' to shut off steam from the cylinders.

By an inspection of Fig. 3 of the drawing ity will' be seen that a contact member 54 is provided which is formed of levers and links similar to the levers and links 28 and 29, respectively. This contact member is mounted in a similar manner to the said levers and links and the construction of the supporting means therefor is similar in every detail with the exception that it is provided with no valve rod which corresponds to the rod 42. It is therefore thought that a detailed view of this contact: member, which I will hereinafter call a switch shoe, is not necessary nor is a detailed description thereof necessary. I will here state that I will also hereinafter refer to the links 29 as stop shoes. s The track is made up of the usual rails which are suitably insulated from each other and are divided into blocks Atv the end of each block stop jacks are located, the construction of these jacks being shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8. Switch jacks lare also located at the end of eachk block, the structure of the switch jacks being shown in Fig. 10. Each stop jack is mounted on a suitable foundation 57 and is provided with a base 58 through which are slidably disposed vertical bars 59. Each of the bars 59 is provided with a rack 60 so arranged as to permit upward movement of said bars 90 but to prevent downward movement thereof, the racks being engaged by pawls 61 which are carried on rods 62. One of these pawls 61 has connected the-reto a stem 63 which is in turn connected to the core 64 or' a 95 solenoid 65 so that when the solenoid is energized the pawls engage the racks and prevent downward movement of the bars 59. On the upper ends of these bars 59 is located a fra-me 66 wherein are journaled 100 rollers 67 adapted to engage the respective links or stop shoes 29 on each side of the locomotive. This frame 66 is normally urged to its raised position by means of a spring 68 which is of less strength than the springs 105 32 of the engine device so that when the pawls are out of engagement with the racks the rollers may be orced downward during the passage or' the engine, it being noted that the solenoid is only energized when a 110 train is in an adjacent block, or in the same block, as will be hereinafter described.

Centrally disposed between the rails at. the beginning ot each block is a switch j ack there being one of these devices located ad- 115 jacent each rail at the endA of each blockA as clearly shown in F ig. 9. This switch jack consists cfa base 69 through which are slidably disposed the vertical bars 70, each of these bars being provided with a rack 7l 120 precisely similar to the previously mentioned racks. Each of these devices is provided with a. frame 72 carried on the upper ends of said bars and supporting rollers 73 which are adapted for engagement by the 125 central contact member 54 on the engine.I This frame 72 is normally held raised by the spring 74 and engaging the racks 71" are pawls 75, said pawls being normally in engagement with said racks. `At 76 is a sole- 130 'noid, the core of which is connected to the members 80 which are adapted for engage-` ment by a contact member 81 carried on the plate 82 which is engageable by the frame 72 when the latter is depressed, said plate being normally kept raised by means of the springs 83.

I will now enter into a detailed description of the track circuits in which the switch jacks and stop jacks together with their solenoid magnets are located and I will describe the operation of these circuits.

If there is a train, ofv the ordinary length, at the point A in the block B and a second train at the point C in the block D, a current will pass from the line wire 100, through the wire 101 to the point 102 on the rail 103 of the block B, through the wheels and axle of the train A to the rail 104 oi' the block B to the point 105. through the wire 106 to the point 107 on the switch jack 108, through the wire 109 to the solenoid magnets 110 and 111, through the wire 112 to the line wire 113. This will cause the stop jack 114 to be locked so that when the train C passes over said stop jack the adjacent shoe 29 will be moved upwardly and the steam shut off and the air brakes applied. The magnet 110 will be energized so that the switch jack 115 will be unlocked so that when the middle shoe 29 engages the switch jack it will be depressed to complete a circuit. The depression of this switch jack 1-15 completes a circuit from the line wire 100, through the wire 116, through the switch jack, through the wire 117 and the electromagnets 118 and 119 and the wire 1'20 to the line wire 113. This circuit will cause the stop jack 121 to be locked so that when the train A strikes the same the steam will be shut oi and the air brakes applied. The stop jack 121 is also closed when the train C enters the block D by a circuit from the line wire 100 'at 122, through a wire 123 to the point 124, through the wheels and vaxle of the train C to the rail 125 of the block D to the point 126, through the wire 127 to the point 128 from which point it 'follows through the wire 117 of the former circuit, the magnets 118 and 119 and the wire 120 to the line wire 113. Aty the same time the energizing of the magnet 118 unlocks the switch j ack 108 so that if the train A passes from the block B to the intermediate block E, the switch jack 108 will be depressed and a circuit will pass from the wire 100 at the point 129, through the wire 101 to the point 102, through the wire 130 to the jack 108, throughthe jack and the wireY 109 tothe magnet 111 and the wire 112 to the fwire 113. This'will lock the stop jack 111 and unlockfthe switchk jack 115.

When, the train Ais in the block B, a circuit will pass from the wire 100, through the wire 101 and the rail 103, through the wheels and axle of the train A tothe rail 1041:` to' thepoint 131, through the wire 132 tol the switch jack 133 at which the current is branched, one branch passing through theswitch jack 133 and thence to the line wire, and the other branch passing through a wire 134 to the magnets 135 and 136 and the wire 137 to the wire 113. This will lock the stop jack 138 and unlock the switch jack 139 so that the stop jack 138 will shut oft' the steam and apply the air brake so that should the train pass onto the block F the switch jack will be depressed and the circuit just described maintained complete.

It will thus be seen that the train A and the train Cvwill be prevented from having a headon collision and that they willbe ordinarily stopped in the blocks B and the blocks D. It will further be seen that the train A is protected from a rear end collision by any train which approaches from the rear because of the fact that the latter train will be stopped by the stop jack 138` and if it is going at a high rate of speed the circuit for locking the stop jack 138 will |be held complete by the switch jack 139. Now should a train approach, the train C from the rear i-t will be stopped by circuits similar to that used in stopping a train which approaches the train A from the rear.

While I have illustrated and described a particular embodiment of my invention, it has merely been for the sake of convenience and I do no-t wish to be limited to that particular embodiment as it is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the details of construction without vdeparting from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. In a device of the kind described, an engine controlling valve, a steam cylinder controlling said valve, a valve controlling said steam cylinder, an operating stem for the last valve, an engine supported frame, a. sliding member k,mounted in said frame, a ratchet on Said frame, a pawl on said member engaging said ratchet, a rod connecting the member and valve operating stem, means Y supported on said frame for raising the member comprising a pair of blocks slidably mounted on said frame, bars pivoted to said blocks, a link pivotally connected to said bars, and spring means normally holding said link depressed.

2. In a device of the kind described, an engine supported frame, a pair of blocks slidnbly carried by the freine for horizontal In testimony whereof I alix my Signature relative movement, bars pivoted 'to said in the presence of two Witnesses.

blocks a link pivotally connecting seid bers, t n f resilient means normally holding said link ERVIN MESERSICIX' depressed and engine control ineens eonnectlVitnesses: ed with the link for operation upon upward WILLIAM M, FOLTZ, movement of the link. ROGER H. FOLTZ.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addreesng the VCommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

